The Mike Babcock saga may soon be coming to an end.  The heavily pursued head coach is believed t...

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Ian McLaren

News Editor

<p>The Mike Babcock saga may soon be coming to an end.</p><p>The heavily pursued head coach is believed to be engaged in contract talks with <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/2" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/2">Buffalo Sabres</a> general manager Tim Murray, according to <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/13727874ade248739d461295592c8b6a/ap-source-babcock-contract-talks-buffalo-sabres">John Wawrow of the Associated Press</a>.</p><p>A person familiar with the discussions reports the two sides were talking by phone Tuesday afternoon following Babcock's personal visit to Buffalo back on May 10.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The Sabres are reported to be dangling an offer worth <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/755343" href="https://twitter.com/MatthewWGR/status/600770259671490562">upwards of $50 million</a> to secure Babcock's services. Babcock's family is expected to play a large role in determining his destination should he indeed choose to leave the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/18" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/18">Detroit Red Wings</a>.</p><p>And with that, "Babwatch 2015" continues in earnest, with a decision expected by Wednesday.</p><figure><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Asked Mike Babcock if he is leaving Detroit? Babcock: "Not sure, know by morning." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RedWings?src=hash">#RedWings</a></p>— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeleneStJames/status/600759029745393664">May 19, 2015</a>
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Buffalo Sabres

NHL Hockey

Mike Babcock was the most sought-after coach in years after the Detroit Red Wings decided to let ...

<p>Mike Babcock was the most sought-after coach in years after the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/18" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/18">Detroit Red Wings</a> decided to let him <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/760992" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/760992">explore his options</a> with other teams around the league.</p><p>Babcock met with teams throughout the past two weeks in hopes of solidifying his future, and did so on May 20, joining the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/5" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/5">Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, reportedly becoming the league's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/755345" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/755345">highest-paid coach in the process</a>.</p><p><strong>Related: <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/755346" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/755346">Babcock to Toronto nothing but a win for the Leafs​</a></strong></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Need to Know</h3><ul><li>Babcock said he'd make a decision on his future by May 20, and stuck to his timeline. He was <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/601090583759822848">announced</a> as the 30th coach in Maple Leafs history at 2:22 p.m. ET. He'll be introduced at a morning press conference in Toronto on May 21.</li></ul><ul><li>Babcock's decision to select the so-called center of the hockey universe <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/767467" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/767467">shook Twitter to its core</a>. </li></ul><figure><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Re: Babcock. <a href="http://t.co/isBlzbYjbJ">pic.twitter.com/isBlzbYjbJ</a></p>— Barry Petchesky (@barryap1) <a href="https://twitter.com/barryap1/status/601073314090655745">May 20, 2015</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just to get Babcock into the right frame of mind, the Leafs private jet will take off by zooming past a confused Dion Phaneuf.</p>— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/DownGoesBrown/status/601072653282181122">May 20, 2015</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><ul><li>Red Wings general manager Ken Holland met with the media Wednesday evening, saying Detroit <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/767529" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/767529">wasn't prepared to offer Babcock more than a five-year contract</a>. "All good things come to an end," Holland said, adding that Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill is a leading candidate to take over behind the bench in Detroit. </li></ul><ul><li>Babcock's <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/767421" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/767421">time with the Red Wings reportedly ended</a> at 12:45 p.m. ET on May 20, with the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/2" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/2">Buffalo Sabres</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/25" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/25">San Jose Sharks</a> also bowing out of the mix for the head coach's services at that time. That left the Maple Leafs and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/teams/20" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/teams/20">St. Louis Blues</a> still vying for the Ontario-born coach's services, with the Leafs reportedly "hopeful" they would land him. </li></ul><ul><li>The Sabres <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/767511" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/767511">reportedly</a> thought they had a deal with Babcock done May 18.</li></ul><ul><li>One NHL coach predicted May 19 that Babcock would leave the Red Wings for a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/755343" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/755343">lucrative, $5 million per season deal</a> with the Sabres.</li></ul><ul><li>Babcock and the Sabres were <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/766996" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/766996">reportedly in telephone contract talks</a> on the afternoon of May 19.</li></ul><ul><li>Babcock reportedly met with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland one last time <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/766109" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/766109">May 18</a> before making his final decision.</li></ul><ul><li>The Maple Leafs and Sabres reportedly agreed to give up <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/765595" href="http://www.thescore.com/news/765595">draft-pick compensation to Detroit</a> in order to land the head coach. The price is a third-round pick, according to multiple reports. </li></ul><figure><iframe src="http://renderer.qmerce.com/interaction/555cce07ee5c0c5e5772832e" width="100%" height="338" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></figure><h3>Further Reading</h3><p>Babcock faces an uphill battle he's not accustomed to dealing with, writes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/babcocks-impact-on-sabres-red-wings-maple-leafs/">Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman</a>:</p><p>"At the Draft Lottery, (team president) Brendan Shanahan said that even if they got <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///nhl/players/3353" href="http://www.thescore.com/nhl/players/3353">Connor McDavid</a>, this was still a huge rebuild," Friedman writes. "I’ve never met a person less wired for losing than Mike Babcock."</p><p>Friedman believes it won't matter how good Babcock is if he isn't given the talent to be competitive:</p><blockquote><p>If the Maple Leafs don’t do a better job of drafting and developing, all of Babcock’s bench barking won’t amount to anything. He knows this is going to take time, one of the reasons we are looking at an eight-year contract.</p></blockquote><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/mike-babcocks-facing-a-challenge-all-right-and-thats-how-he-wants-it/article24531643/">The Globe and Mail's James Mirtle</a> says Babcock will have to develop patience in Toronto and won't have the benefit of the doubt like he did in Detroit, where Stanley Cups and playoff appearances were the norm:</p><blockquote>
<p>None of that exists in Toronto. There’s no aura there. There’s no winning culture – or anything resembling it. He’s entering on the ground floor – closer to the basement, really – with a team that has been poorly coached, finished fourth-last and that hasn’t yet assembled a deep group of prospects.</p>
<p>Babcock will need to evolve, too, as much of his job description will be about working with youngsters and helping them reach their potential.</p>
<p>He’ll also need to get used to losing and doing it in a spotlight that wilted other coaches with solid track records, such as Ron Wilson, who, incidentally, sits more than 100 wins ahead of Babcock in his career.</p>
</blockquote><p>As proven as Babcock is, his success or failure with the Leafs will be dependent on how Shanahan fills the remaining openings in the organization, writes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tsn.ca/babcock-just-one-piece-of-much-larger-leaf-puzzle-1.287646">TSN's Jonas Siegel</a>:</p><blockquote><p>But Babcock, maybe the most decorated NHL coach in the past decade, is still just one piece of a much bigger puzzle, one that will hinge not on his merits behind the bench, but on Shanahan and his vision, philosophy and success as the leader of the Leafs.</p></blockquote><h3>Babcock's Coaching Career</h3><figure><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Team</th>
<th>Year</th>
<th>Record</th>
<th>Points</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>ANA</td>
<td> 2002-03</td>
<td> 40-27-9-6</td>
<td> 95</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ANA</td>
<td> 2003-04</td>
<td> 29-35-10-8</td>
<td> 76</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2005-06</td>
<td> 58-16-8</td>
<td> 126</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2006-07</td>
<td> 50-19-13</td>
<td> 113</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2007-08</td>
<td> 54-21-7</td>
<td> 115</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2008-09</td>
<td> 51-21-10</td>
<td> 112</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2009-10</td>
<td> 44-24-14</td>
<td> 102</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2010-11</td>
<td> 47-25-10</td>
<td> 104</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2011-12</td>
<td> 48-28-6</td>
<td> 102</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2012-13</td>
<td> 24-16-8</td>
<td> 56</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2013-14</td>
<td> 39-28-15</td>
<td> 93</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DET</td>
<td> 2014-15</td>
<td> 43-25-14</td>
<td> 100</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>*Note: Ties were included in records in 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.</p>

Report: Sabres GM Tim Murray, Mike Babcock in contract talks

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